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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — for pool
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cue — a hint
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fine — high quality
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — a signal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — all right
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com